Strand handling apparatus



the same reference numerals Patented May 1c, 1944 2,348.79: STRANDHANDLING APPARATUS Erwin E. Franz, (lranford, N. J., assignor to WesternElectric Company,

Incorporated, New York,

N. Y.,.a corporation of New York Application September 15, 1943, SerialNo. 502,492

6 Claims.

This invention relates to strand handling apparatus and moreparticularly to a device for guiding a tape or ribbon like strand beingwound edgewise upon a core.

There are certain windings of electrical conductor strand on a core toform an electromagnetic coil in which, for reasons not relevant to thepresent invention, the strand is a fiat tape or ribbon of metal coveredwith insulation, which tape like strand must be wound edgewise on asuitable core, i. e., with the broader fiat sides of addacent turns ofthe winding juxtaposed, and with each turn resting on one of its narrowedges against the core. The winding of such a coil has been a tediousand time wasting matter because of the difficulty of keeping the flatsides of each turn of winding substantially perpendicular to the face ofthe core with no better support than the narrow edge of the strand.

An object of the present invention is to provide a winding guide andstrand support for controlling a tape like strand being wound edgewiseupon a core.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may be embodiedin an elastically held together annular assembly of cam faced elementsto be placed on the core to be wound, held frictionally thereon againstthe last placed turn of the winding to hold this against the body of theprevious turns, and to be cammed back element by element by a new turnof winding being forced down edgewise between the last placed turn andthe successive cam faces of the assembly.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear from thefollowing detailed description of one embodiment thereof, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which are applied toidentical parts in the several figures and in which Fig. 1 is a planview partly in horizontal central section of a winding mandrel andassociated parts for winding a tape like strand on edge on a core;

Fig. 2 is a complete section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detached enlarged plan view of the annular strand guide andsupport;

Fig. 4 is a left hand elevation thereof, and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The apparatus herein disclosed to illustrate the invention comprises aspindle or shaft i drivable in rotation by any suitable means, notshown, and having a mandrel ll, mounted thereon to be driven thereby. Acore body consisting of four elements l2, l3, l4 and I fits snugly butslidably on the mandrel. Elements l2 and I3 are generallysemicylindrical wooden bodies as shown, and elements I4 and I! areplates of hard fiber, molded artificial resin or the like, edgerabbetted to the elements I2 and I3 as shown. The core body thusassembled has a. bore of oblong cross section to fit the mandrel ll,while its outer lateral surface, on which the winding is is to go,consists of two parallel opposed semicylindrical ends joined by parallelplanes. when thus assembled the parts of the core may be fastenedtogether in any suitable manner, e. g., permanently with glue or cementor temporarily, until some turns of winding have been laid on, withadhesive tape. The left core heads l6 and ii are securely attached tothe core elements l2 and i3, as by cement, and are supported by theabutment element or support block I 9 mounted on the spindle l0. Othersimilar core heads not shown are to be mounted at the right side of thecore when the winding is completed.

Abutted against the right end of the core body is a core dummy 20,rigidly and removably mounted on the spindle ill by a washer 2i and anut 22. The core dummy 20 has its outer surface of the same dimensionsand contour as those of the core body so that the outer surface of thedummy is in effect a continuation of the outer surface of the core body.

The core body is encircled circumferentially by a compound winding guideand strand support generally indicated by the numeral 30. This guide 30is composed of a suitable plurality of suitably formed blocks 3|, 32;here shown as made of wood, but which may be of any suitable material,metal, molded plastic or the like. The side blocks 3i and end blocks 32of the guide are so shaped that when they'are abutted in annularsequence, as in Figs. 3 and 4, they form an elongated annulus whoseinner space, when the guide is detached, is triflingly smaller than theouter cross-section of the core body and of identically similar contour.The blocks are held in this assembled formation by one or more (heretwo) endless elastically stretchable bands 33, here shown as made ofrubber, but which may be of any suitable elastic material, or may behelical tension springs, and which are held in place by being containedin grooves or slots 34 formed in the common periphery of the blocks.

Each of the blocks 3i and'32 is formed at its left end with a flattransverse strand supporting face 35 or 36 respectively on the inside,trailing corner of the left end, "trailing" meaning here at the rearwith respect to the motion of the block when in operation. From thecurved forward and upper edge of this face 35 or 36 the surface iscurved convexly to the right to form a cam surface 31 or 88respectively.

When the guide is in position on the core body, as shown in Figs. 1 and2, the faces and 36, perpendicular to the core surface, are pressedsnugly against the last placed turn of the winding l8 and support thisturn of the fiat strand in its position edgewise to the core bodysurface. The guide is placed originally with the faces 35 and 3B pressedsnugly against the core heads I6 and H. The first turn of the winding isforced down edgewise between the heads and the guide, by being broughtdown over the successive cam faces 31 and 38 of the blocks 3| and 82.Each block in turn is thus cammed to the right by the thickness of thestrand while the blocks in front of it still hold the previously placedturn upright against the turn before that, and the blocks behind the onemomentarily being cammed away are snugly against the part of the newturn just laid. Thus the strand being wound is completely supported atall times between the last placed turn and the guide entirely around thecore except where successive individual blocks of the guide are beingcammed back to admit the strand.

As described above, the guide 30 is constructed to have its centralopening of the same shape as the core body'on which the strand is to bewound; and this central opening is trifiingly smaller in dimensions thanthe core body. Hence, when the guide is forced into position on the corebody, the elastic bands 33 allow the guide to expand to fit over thecore body and compel the guide to hug the core body closely and thuscause the individual blocks to lose frictional contact with each otherbut to maintain frictional contact with the core body. Hence each blockoffers the frictional resistance to being moved necessary to itsfunction of supporting the strand and, at the same time, when cammedback does not tend to drag its neighboring blocks out of position.

In operation as described, the guide creeps rightwardly block by blockuntil the winding is completed. During the latter part of this procedurethe block moves out on the dummy body 20. The right hand heads of thecore are then forced down into place on the left end of the dummy. Thisis then withdrawn sufficiently to let these heads slip down into finalposition, and the process is completed. Fresh core elements as describedare placed on the mandrel, the guide is forced from the dummy upon thenew core body and over to the new left hand core heads, and

the procedure may be repeated.

In the particular case illustrated, the guide is shown as shaped to fita core having a racetrack cross-section. Obviously, the blocks composingthe guide 'may be shaped as to their abutted sides and inner faces tomake the guide fit a core body of any desired cross-sectional shapewithout departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In, a strand handling apparatus for winding a strand on a core, acombined strand guide and support comprising an annular sequence ofmutually independent strand guide and support members to encircle thecore, and elastic means to hold the sequence of members removably inplace on the core.

2. In a strand handling apparatus for winding a strand on a core, acombined strand guide and support comprising an annular sequence ofmutually independent strand guide and support members to encircle thecore and formed to a slightly smaller inner circumference than the outercircumference of the core, and elastic means to hold the sequence ofmembers removably in place on the core and to hold the stretchedsequence frictionally snugly on the core.

3. In a strand handling apparatus for winding a strand on a core, acombined strand guide and support comprising an annular sequence ofmutually independent strand guide and support members to encircle thecore, and elastic means to hold the sequence of members removably inplace on the core, each member being formed to have a strand supportingface to press against and support a last placed turn of strand on thecore and being further formed with a cam surface to be engaged by a turnof strand being placed to cam the member away from the last placed turnto admit the new turn.

4. In a strand handling apparatus for winding a strand on a core, acombined strand guide and support comprising an annular sequence ofmutually independent strand guide and support members to encircle thecore and formed to a slightly smaller inner circumference than the outercircumference of the core, and elastic means to hold the sequence ofmembers removably in place on the core and to hold the stretchedsequence frictionally snugly on the core, each member being formed tohave a strand supporting face to press against and support a last placedturn of strand on the core and being further formed with a cam surfaceto be engaged by a turn of strand being placed to cam the member awayfrom the last placed turn to admit the new turn.

5. In a strand handling apparatus for winding a strand on a core, acombined strand guide and support comprising'an annular sequence ofmutually independent strand guide and support members toencircle thecore, and elastic means to hold the sequence of members removably inplace on the core, each member being formed to have a strand supportingface to press against and support a last placed turn of strand on thecore and being further formed with a cam surface adjacent to and leadingfrom the strand supporting face and to be engaged by a turn of strandbeing placed to cam the member away from the last placed turn to admitthe new turn.

6. In a strand handling apparatus for winding a strand on a core, acombined strand guide and support comprising an annular sequence ofmutually independent strand guide and support members to encircle thecore and formed to a slightly smaller inner circumference than the outercircumference of the core, and elastic means to hold the sequence ofmembers removably in place on the core and to hold the stretchedsequence frictionally snugly on the core, each member being formed tohave a strand supporting face to press against and support a last placedturn of strand on the core and being further formed with a cam surfaceadjacent to and leading from the strand supporting face and to beengaged by a turn of strand being placed to cam the member away from thelast placed turn to admit the new turn.

DISCLAIMER 2,348,798.-Erwin E. Franz, Oranford, N. J. STRAND HANDLINGAPPARATUS. Patent. dated May 16, 1944. Disclaimer filed July 28, 1944,by the assignee, Western Electric Company, Incorporated. Hereby entersthis disclaimer to claims 1, 3, and 5 of said patent.

[Ofiicial Gazette September 5, 1944.]

